MECH

Advising Goals

Provide students regular access to faculty advisors throughout the academic year.
Regular office hours are established and posted, and extended during the first week
of pre-registration each semester. Faculty are also available by individual appointment.
Advising consists of providing counsel in the following broad areas: academics (scheduling,
course selection, performance assessment, designing programs of study, learning survival
skills), career counseling, time management, resource availability and management,
honors programs, scholarships, student exchange programs, and graduate school opportunities.

Advising Policy

In the mechanical engineering and mechanical engineering technology programs, new
students are assigned advisors at the beginning of each semester. Students remain
with that advisor throughout the undergraduate program. Students may change advisors
at their request.

In the industrial engineering program, incoming freshman and transfer students are
assigned to a freshman faculty advisor for the first year. At the end of their first
year, students are assigned permanent advisors. Students may change advisors at their
request.

Faculty advisors are available to students throughout the academic year. Students
obtain advice during posted office hours, during the extended-office-hour week corresponding
to the first week of class preregistration each semester, and at other times convenient
to both the faculty and student. Advising also takes place in the engineering orientation
classes (ME 101 and ENGR 101) where students explore the various career options offered
in this Department as well as the College of Engineering.

Students are required to see an advisor before they are allowed to pre-register. This
is accomplished by requiring students to see their advisors in order to obtain their
PDF forms containing individual access codes. Advising is encouraged and recommended
at any other time throughout the year as individual needs arise.

A formal advising policy is in place in the M&IE Department (effective October 1995).
This policy clearly delineates tasks for the Faculty, Staff, Certifying Officers,
and the Department Head. The policy is somewhat lengthy and has not been included
in this report; a copy of the policy is available from the Department.

A formal internship program is available to students in the Department. The goal of
this program is to assist students with summer job experiences in the industrial sector.
Students participating in the program receive considerable advice regarding summer
employment and longer term opportunities with various employers.

The Department recently instituted a Mentors program. Upper level students mentor
incoming students. While not meant to take the place of advising, this program provides
additional counsel for incoming students.

Recent Changes and Future Plans

To Improve Quality of Advising

A new advising policy was put into effect in October 1995. The policy is lengthy
and is therefore not included in this report; it can be provided upon request.

The advising policy delineates advising duties for Faculty, Staff, Program Certifying
Officers, and the Department Head.

To Improve Accessibility of Advisors

Prior to October 1995, a Departmental Advising Policy did not exit. The new policy
clearly delineates roles of all involved in the advising process.

Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost